Missing persons’ embarrassment must stop: CJ

Pakistan’s Chief Justice (CJ) Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry remarked that Pakistan would not be allowed to be ridiculed in the world owing to the missing persons’ matter. “On one side innocent people are picked up and on the other side the institutions which lift them deny these acts. It is better for the institutions holding these missing persons to inform the court about the details of the matter or for them to initiate proceedings as per law. We gave them as much time as we could and they will not be given any more,” Iftikhar said. In addition, Justice Jawwad S Khawaja said “Nothing but the rule of law and the constitution will run in the country now. Enough is enough and the missing individuals should be recovered now. As soon as we dispose off one case we come to know that more people are missing. Dead bodies of the individuals who have gone missing in Balochistan are being recovered from Karachi. For how long will this continue”? A three-member bench of the Supreme Court (SC) presided over by the CJ took up the hearing on a missing persons case on Thursday. The court was informed that an FIR had been lodged with reference to one Mustafa Azam. The young man was arrested when a blast took place in Peshawar’s Hayatabad and was held by the FC. An investigation revealed that he was a first year student staying at a hotel when the blast occurred. The Sindh police was investigating a case against him and he was caught by the police during the bomb blast incident at Peshawar. The CJ remarked that “The boy’s father recognises his son. Mustafa Azam should be presented before us.” However, police records identified him as Hamza Javed. Justice Azmat Saeed remarked that the bomb blast took place in Peshawar in 2013 while the individual was missing since 2006, adding that orders in connection with his recovery were issued in 2007. The court, in its orders, said that it was very clear that the young man was in the FC’s custody and it was the duty of the FC to present him before the court. “We want the case disposed off as soon as possible because its hearing was pending since 2007. The man should be presented before the court on August, 22 and the FC’s IG should ensure the implementation of the court’s orders. While rejecting the IG’s report in the ‘Mustafa Azam missing person case’, the court summoned an FC commandant who was allegedly involved in the boy’s arrest. The court also issued a notice to the Sindh IG and sought a video tape of Mustafa Azam from the former.